Ventilated Footwear

ABSTRACT

A footwear including, in the wear sole, a longitudinal channel that communicates with the exterior via lateral perforations and including, in the insole, traverse channels for directly communicating with the longitudinal channel and conveying the air from the channel towards the periphery of the insole.

The invention relates to a footwear with a ventilated sole.

For a long time, people have sought to ventilate the inside of a footwear by means of a ventilation network formed in the sole so as to distribute outside air under the foot, supplied through appropriate vents in the sole.

The TH.GRIMMEISEN company has been a pioneer in this field (French patent 1 295 561 filed on 28 Apr. 1961).

Due to its nature, the design of a ventilation network gives rise to a certain number of problems:

-   -   leading the air to the most appropriate places and in a         sufficient quantity;     -   not weakening the strength of the sole;     -   maintaining effective support for the foot;     -   not creating a problem for the arch of the foot;     -   not making manufacture a costly operation.

Many solutions have been proposed, without succeeding to simultaneously solve these various problems (FR 82 02 541, FR 86 04 692, FR 88 00 850, EP 1 093 729, WO 2004/037031, FR 91 10 484, EP 1 369 048).

The objective of the present invention is to provide an overall solution to the problems of ventilation.

This is achieved according to the invention with a footwear in which the ventilation network is distributed between the outer sole of the footwear and an insole and supplied with air through lateral vents in the outer sole, characterised in that the ventilation network in the outer sole includes a longitudinal channel formed from the area of the outer sole, stretching from the heel up to close to the point of the sole, so as to preserve, on either side of the channel and in front of the channel, an area of weight-bearing sole that represents in total at least 50% of the area of the sole, this channel communicating with the outside through lateral vents in the sole, and in that in the insole, the ventilation network includes transverse channels formed in the underside of the insole so as to communicate directly with the longitudinal channel of the outer sole and to conduct the air from this channel toward the periphery of the insole.

In preferred embodiments, the footwear also has one or more of the following characteristics:

-   -   the longitudinal channel of the outer sole widens progressively         from the heel toward the point of the sole, and narrows in the         vicinity of its end to close in a rounded part;     -   the heel of the outer sole includes a chamber composed of         recesses formed around a central sole part that is not hollowed,         so as to support the weight of the heel;     -   the insole is created by moulding complete with its channels;     -   a semi-permeable material is inserted in the path of the         ventilating air, in order to stop dampness while allowing         passage of the air;     -   said material is located in the air intakes;     -   said material is a coating applied onto the inner contour of the         chamber and/or of the longitudinal channel of the outer sole.

An exemplary embodiment of a footwear according to the invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a footwear for the right foot, seen from the right side;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the footwear of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views in perspective of two removable non-slip accessories for attachment to the sole;

FIG. 5 is a view of the sole of the footwear of FIG. 1 equipped with the non-slip accessories;

FIG. 6 is a view from above in perspective of the outer sole seen from the right side of the footwear;

FIG. 7 is a view in profile of the insole and of the outer sole, and

FIG. 8 is a view from above in perspective from the left side of the footwear.

FIG. 1 shows a footwear 1 of which the outer sole 2 and the upper 3 can be seen. The outer sole is manufactured with a chamber 4 in the heel and a longitudinal channel that extends from the chamber to the forepart.

In the illustrated case, the chamber (FIGS. 2 and 6) forms four cavities 4 distributed around a central part 5 which is not hollowed in order to support the heel, and the single channel 6 extends longitudinally from the chamber up to vicinity of the end of the sole, firstly widening progressively in a cambered part of the sole and then narrowing progressively until it ends in a rounded manner in the front part of the sole.

Lateral holes 7, 8 are formed in the heel so that they open into the chamber 4, and in the side of the outer sole so that they open into the longitudinal channel 6.

On its underside, the removable insole 9 has channels 10 that traverse the sole crosswise until they end in notches at the longitudinal sides of the sole.

These channels, which are created by moulding with the sole and open toward the outer sole add to the flexibility of the sole and provide a passage for the air from the chamber and from the longitudinal channel of the outer sole toward the sides of the sole. The vents 7, 8 are able to accommodate, in a captive manner in this example, hollow studs 11, 12 that are used for the attachment of two non-slip parts 13, 14 to be attached respectively under the outer sole, in the region of the forepart and in the region of the heel.

These parts are U-shaped and have a wing fitted with studs and an opposite wing fitted with a small projection 15, 16 for attachment to the top of the outer sole, possibly in suitable notches, as can be seen in FIG. 8.

The insole, of semi-rigid material, preferably includes no means of ventilation other than the transverse channels, and in particular does not include holes that pass through the thickness of the sole.

This sole is made from semi-rigid foam for example, covered with a comfort layer.

In order to prevent the entry of water into the footwear, a material which is permeable to air but impermeable to water is used as a membrane in the passages 7, 8 or as a coating for the inner contour of the chamber and of the channel in the outer sole.

This material, which is known in its own right, and can be Gor-Tex™ for example, has not been shown in the figures.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment that has just been described. 

1-13. (canceled)
 14. A footwear comprising: a ventilation network distributed between an outer sole of the footwear and an insole, and supplied with air through lateral vents in the outer sole, the ventilation network including: a longitudinal channel in the outer sole, formed from the surface of the outer sole and extending from heel up to the vicinity of the point of the sole, so as to create, on either side of the channel and in front of the channel, an area of weight-carrying sole that represents in total at least 50% of the area of the sole, the channel communicating with the outside via lateral vents in the sole, and transverse channels in the insole formed in the underside of the insole so as to communicate directly with the longitudinal channel of the outer sole and to conduct the air from the longitudinal channel toward the periphery of the insole.
 15. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the insole is removable.
 16. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the longitudinal central channel widens progressively from the heel toward the point of the sole, and narrows toward its end to close by a rounded part, so that the foot is supported by the sole around the longitudinal channel.
 17. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the heel of the outer sole includes a chamber formed around a central part of the sole that is not hollowed out, so as to support the weight of the heel, the chamber being supplied with air via lateral vents in the heel.
 18. The ventilated footwear according to claim 17, in which the chamber communicates with the longitudinal channel.
 19. The ventilated footwear according to claim 17, in which the chamber is open in the direction of the insole.
 20. The ventilated footwear according to claim 18, in which the chamber is open in the direction of the insole.
 21. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the insole and its channels are formed by molding.
 22. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, further comprising a semi-permeable material located in the path of the ventilation air so as to stop water while still allowing the air to pass.
 23. The ventilated footwear according to claim 22, in which the material is located in the lateral vents.
 24. The ventilated footwear according to claim 22, in which the material is a coating applied onto the inner contour of the chamber and/or of the longitudinal channel ventilated in the outer sole.
 25. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the vents are capable of receiving, in a captive manner, hollow studs that are used for attachment of two non-slip parts, to be attached respectively under the outer sole, in a region of the ball of the foot and in a region of the heel of the foot.
 26. The ventilated footwear according to claim 25, in which the two non-slip parts are U-shaped and have a wing fitted with studs and an opposite wing fitted with a small projection for attachment to the top of the outer sole.
 27. The ventilated footwear according to claim 14, in which the insole is made of semi-rigid foam covered with a comfort layer. 